JP2008171073A - Image forming apparatus and its control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cause a driver to process data into a printer-supported paper size so that a user can print on printed matter in the best paper size without having to set and prepare paper in the printer. <P>SOLUTION: With the input of data to be printed, a device driver 10C installed in a host computer 10 obtains the size information of paper that it supports; based on the size information obtained, the host driver determines whether or not paper sizes that it supports include a suitable paper size for printing the data to be printed on one page; if there is any suitable paper size, the host driver processes the data to be printed to change the size according to the size information obtained, creates print data matching the size of the paper supported, and prints the print data created on the paper. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine, and a control program therefor.

  The types of paper used in an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, or a multi-function machine are defined by a predetermined type such as an A4 plate or a B5 plate, and defined by a user or a driver. Some are irregular. On the image forming apparatus side, only standard sizes such as row A and row B are registered in advance, and non-standard sizes can be used as driver-defined sizes or user-defined sizes. Here, the driver definition size is a size in which a name, a dimension, and the like are defined in advance by the driver. The user-defined size is a size whose name, dimension, etc. are defined by the user.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus can print using driver-defined size or user-defined size paper in addition to pre-registered standard sizes such as A4 and B5 plates.

  In a conventional printer device, for example, when a size that is not registered on the printer side is designated, this unregistered size is handled as the maximum size that can be printed by the print engine. For example, when the maximum size that can be printed by the print engine is the A3 size, even a paper of a size slightly smaller than the A4 size is regarded as the A3 size of the maximum size and conveyed (for example, see Patent Document 2).

  In addition, when the received print data has an irregular size, a printer device that selects and prints the smallest regular size including the irregular size is also provided (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-257231 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-071034

  By the way, when printing the data scanned by the scanner, if the paper size is not supported by the driver, the data is printed on the user-defined paper or the default paper size of the driver. When printing scanned data, the print paper size depends on the scanned data. A paper command is added from the driver according to the paper size to select the paper. If the scanned data is a paper size not supported by the driver, it is printed on a user-defined paper. In that case, the user needs to prepare and set paper. In the case of a network printer or the like, since it is used in plural, it cannot be printed until the printing is completed. Also, there are cases where printing is performed on paper that is not intended by the user.

  Therefore, in view of the conventional problems as described above, the object of the present invention is to process data into a paper size supported by the printer on the driver side, so that the user does not need to set and prepare paper in the printer. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of printing on a printed material with an optimum paper size and a control program therefor.

  Other objects of the present invention and specific advantages obtained by the present invention will become more apparent from the description of embodiments described below.

  In the present invention, information on the support paper size is acquired from the printer side, and the irregular-size print data is processed on the driver side.

  That is, when data to be printed is input, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention acquires supported paper size information, and based on the acquired size information, supports the supported paper size. It is determined whether there is a paper size suitable for printing one page of data to be printed. If there is a suitable paper size, the size of the data to be printed is determined based on the acquired size information. The printing control means for creating print data that matches the size of the supported paper, and the print processing means for printing the print data created by the print control means on paper. And

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control program for an image forming apparatus that is executed by a computer provided in an image forming apparatus that creates and prints print data from data to be printed. Obtain supported paper size information, and based on the acquired size information, whether the supported paper size has a paper size suitable for printing one page of data to be printed If there is a suitable paper size, based on the acquired size information, the data to be printed is processed to change the size, and print data that matches the supported paper size is obtained. A process of creating and printing the created print data on paper is executed by a computer provided in the image forming apparatus.

  In the present invention, even when the scanned data is printed, even if the paper size data is not supported by the image forming apparatus, the print data is matched to the supported paper size by processing the data on the driver side. Can be created and printed. It is possible to maintain compatibility with original printing by printing with the paper size closest to the scanned data.

  Further, according to the present invention, printing is performed with a paper size supported by the image forming apparatus, so that user-defined paper is not required. When the user-defined paper is used, the user needs to prepare the paper and set it in the image forming apparatus. However, it is possible to save the trouble by printing on a suitable paper. Also, with network printers and the like, the printer could not be used until user-defined paper was printed, but using this function makes it unnecessary for the user to prepare paper and set it in the image forming device. You can print on the same paper, and the printer will not be in a paper waiting state.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and can be arbitrarily changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

The present invention is applied to, for example, a printing system 100 configured as shown in an external view in FIG.
That is, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is implemented as the printing system 100.

  The printing system 100 includes a host computer 10 and a scanner 20 and a printer 30 connected to the host computer 10, and has a function of printing image data captured by the scanner 20 into the host computer 10 by the printer 30. is there.

  The host computer 10 is, for example, a general-purpose personal computer in which an application program 10A, an operating system 10B, a device driver 10C, and the like are installed. As shown in FIG. 2, the CPU 11 controls the entire apparatus and performs various arithmetic processes. ROM 12 for storing the application program 10A and data, RAM 13 for temporarily storing the program and data as a work area, the hard disk 14 as an external storage device for storing various programs and data, and display of various information Display unit 15 such as a liquid crystal display for input, an input unit 16 including a keyboard and a mouse for inputting various instructions, and a network interface such as a LAN card for connecting to a network Such as 7 which are connected to each other via a bus 18.

  The scanner 20 reads an original in accordance with an instruction sent from the host computer 10 and generates image data corresponding to the original, and generates image data from an optically acquired original image. The image data obtained by scanning a manuscript placed on the contact glass is output to the host computer 10 and is composed of a scanner, a contact glass, and the like having a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor and an exposure lamp.

  The printer 30 is a printer that executes print processing in accordance with an instruction sent from the host computer 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 30 includes a control unit 31 centering on a CPU that controls operation of the entire apparatus. In addition, an image forming unit 32, a paper feeding unit 33, an operation display unit 34, an image storage unit 35, an image processing unit 36, a network interface 37, a paper discharge unit 38, and the like are connected to the control unit 31.

  The control unit 31 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a control program of the printer 30, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores data, and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) that stores various setting data that can be updated. ) And a microcomputer that reads out and executes a control program from the ROM, and responds to predetermined instruction information input in the operation display unit 34 and the like, and detection signals from various sensors provided in various parts of the apparatus. To control the entire system.

  The image forming unit 32 performs predetermined image formation (printing) on the paper conveyed by the paper supply unit 33, and includes a printer controller, a laser scanning unit, a fixing roller, and the like (not shown).

  The paper feeding unit 33 feeds paper to the image forming unit 32. The paper feeding unit 33 takes out paper one by one from a paper feeding tray (not shown) in the apparatus main body, and passes the image forming unit 32 through a conveyance path. The paper is transported to the front.

  The operation display unit 34 inputs a predetermined instruction in response to a user operation. The operation display unit 34 includes a start key for inputting a print execution instruction and a numeric keypad for inputting the number of copies to be printed. A liquid crystal display (LCD) on which various operation buttons and the like for displaying operation guide information for inputting settings of various copying operations and the like is displayed.

  The image storage unit 35 is a memory that temporarily stores image data transmitted from an external device via a network I / F unit or the like.

  The image processing unit 36 performs various kinds of image processing on the print data. For example, the image processing unit 36 converts the print data into RGB data or CMYK data, and performs image processing for consolidating a plurality of document images on one sheet, that is, Enlargement / reduction processing for enlarging or reducing the image size of the document image, layout processing for arranging a plurality of document images on one sheet, and the like are performed.

  The paper discharge unit 38 discharges the paper on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit 32.

  In this printing system 100, the host computer 10 performs control for printing the image data captured by the scanner 20 by the printer 30 according to the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4.

  In other words, the device driver 10C installed in the host computer 10 obtains paper size information supported by the printer 30 when image data captured by the scanner 20 is input as data to be printed (step). S1).

  When the device driver 10C prints the image data captured by the scanner 20 using the application program 10A (step S2), the device driver 10C supports the supported paper size based on the acquired size information. Then, it is determined whether or not there is a paper size for printing one page of data to be printed (step S3). If there is no paper size, a process for changing the size is performed on the data to be printed (step S4). ), Print data matching the size of the supported paper is created (step S5). If it is determined in step S3 that there is a paper size for printing one page of data to be printed, print data for one page is immediately generated from the data to be printed (step S5).

  Here, in the process of changing the size of the data to be printed in step S4, the device driver 10C sets the paper size supported by the device driver 10C as shown in the flowchart of FIG. It is determined whether there is a paper size for printing one page of data to be printed (step S41). If there is, the printer 30 determines the data to be printed from the paper size supported by the device driver. Processing is performed to a supported paper size (step S42).

  If the result of determination in step S41 is that there is no paper size for printing one page of data to be printed among the paper sizes supported by the device driver 10C, whether enlargement processing or reduction processing can be used. Is determined (step S43). Then, for example, when it is possible to cope with an enlargement / reduction ratio of 80 to 120% and an aspect ratio of 80 to 120%, the data to be printed is processed into a paper size supported by the printer 30 by enlargement processing or reduction processing. (Step S42). Further, if the result of determination in step S43 is that the enlargement process or reduction process cannot cope, the data to be printed is set to the user-defined paper size (step S44).

  Here, “processing” for processing the data to be printed into a paper size supported by the printer 30 means changing the size by cutting the data or adding a margin. In the present embodiment, the same processing as in the case where the determination result in Step S43 is Yes is performed in Step S42, but the content of the processing is different. However, the “processing” here may be enlargement / reduction, and the lower enlargement / reduction processing may be cut or margin addition, and the processing method and its combination are arbitrary.

  That is, in this printing system 100, the host computer 10 acquires the size information of the paper supported by the printer 30 when printing the image data captured by the scanner 20, and supports based on the acquired size information. It is determined whether there is a paper size for printing one page of data to be printed in the size of the paper being printed. If there is no paper size, the data to be printed is processed to change the size, If print data that matches the supported paper size is created and there is a paper size for printing one page of data to be printed, the print data for one page is immediately generated from the data to be printed. The generated print data is supplied to the printer 30 and printed on a sheet of a size supported by the printer 30. .

  Therefore, in the printing system 100, when printing image data captured by the scanner 20, the device driver 10 </ b> C installed in the host computer 10 is the data even if the paper size data is not supported by the printer 30. By processing the print data, it is possible to create and print print data that matches the paper size supported by the printer 30. It is possible to maintain compatibility of original printing by printing with the paper size closest to the image data captured by the scanner 20.

  Further, in this printing system 100, printing is performed with a paper size supported by the printer 30, so that user-defined paper is not required. When the user-defined paper is used, the user needs to prepare the paper and set it in the printer. However, the user can save time and effort by printing on a suitable paper. In addition, in a network printer or the like, the printer could not be used until the user-defined paper was printed. By using this function, it is not necessary for the user to prepare paper and set it in the printer 30, which is suitable. Printing can be performed on paper, and the printer is not put into a paper waiting state.

  In the printing system 100, the image data captured by the scanner 20 is printed by the printer 30, but the image data printed by the printer 30 is the data read by an image reading device other than the scanner 20 described above. It may be input to the host computer 10.

  Here, in the printing system 100, as the function of the device driver 10C installed in the host computer 10, the supported paper size information is acquired, and the supported paper size is determined based on the acquired size information. It is determined whether there is a paper size suitable for printing one page of data to be printed. If there is a suitable paper size, printing should be performed based on the acquired size information. Although the host computer 10 is equipped with a processing function for processing data to change the size, it goes without saying that this processing function may be installed in the printer 30.

  When the processing function is installed in the printer 30, the processing function is installed in the printer 30 as a control program executed by the CPU constituting the control unit 31 of the printer 30.

When the processing function is installed in the printer 30, when the image data captured by the image reading function of the printer 30 is printed using a multifunction machine having a scanner function, the processing function can be used to obtain a supported paper size. The combined print data can also be created and printed.
That is, the present invention can be implemented by the printer 30 alone, and can also be implemented by a multi-function machine equipped with a scanner.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system to which the present invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the host computer in the said printing system. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus in the printing system. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control procedure when image data read by an image reading device in the image forming device is printed by the image forming device. It is a flowchart which shows the specific process content of the process which performs the process which changes the size to the data which should be printed in the said control procedure.

Explanation of symbols

10 host computer,
10A application program,
10B operating system,
10C device driver,
11 CPU,
12 ROM,
13 RAM,
14 hard disk,
15 display section,
16 input section,
17 network interface,
18 Bus,
20 scanner,
30 printer,
31 control unit,
32 Image forming unit,
33 Paper feed unit,
34 Operation display section,
35 Image storage unit,
36 Image processing unit,
37 network interface,
38 Output section,
100 printing system,

Claims (4)

Print control means for creating print data from input data to be printed;
Print processing means for printing the print data created by the print control means on paper,
When the data to be printed is input, the print control unit acquires the size information of the paper supported by the print processing unit, and sets the supported paper size based on the acquired size information. Determine whether the paper size for printing one page of data to be printed matches, and if there is no matching paper size, change the size to the data to be printed based on the acquired size information An image forming apparatus that performs processing to create print data that matches a supported paper size.   The print control means includes a paper size that the paper size supported by the print control means does not match the paper size for printing the data to be printed for one page, and the paper size supported by the print processing means. If the data to be printed does not match the paper size to be printed for one page, the data to be printed is matched with the paper size supported by the print processing means by the enlargement process or the reduction process. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print data is generated. An image forming apparatus control program executed by a computer provided in an image forming apparatus that creates print data from data to be printed by a print control unit and prints it on a sheet by a print processing unit,
When the data to be printed is input and functions as the print control unit, the size information of the paper supported by the print processing unit is obtained, and the supported paper size is obtained based on the obtained size information. It is determined whether or not the paper size for printing one page of data to be printed matches the size. If there is no matching paper size, the size of the data to be printed is determined based on the acquired size information. To create print data that matches the supported paper size,
A control program for an image forming apparatus, which causes a computer provided in the image forming apparatus to execute processing for printing the created print data on a sheet by the print processing unit.   The printing that the paper size supported by the print control means does not match the paper size for printing the data to be printed for one page and the paper size supported by the print processing means should be printed. When the data to be printed does not match the paper size for printing one page, print data matching the paper size supported by the print processing unit is generated from the data to be printed by the enlargement process or the reduction process. The control program for an image forming apparatus according to claim 3.

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